St. Pius V, Pope

SAINT PIUS V
Pope
(1504-1572)

A DOMINICAN friar from his fifteenth year, Michael Ghislieri, as a simple religious, as inquisitor, as bishop, and as cardinal, was famous for his intrepid defense of the Church's faith and discipline, and for the spotless purity of his own life. His first care as Pope was to reform the Roman court and capital by the strict example of his household and the severe punishment of all offenders. He next endeavored to obtain from the Catholic powers the recognition of the Tridentine decrees, two of which he urgently enforced—the residence of bishops, and the establishment of diocesan seminaries. He revised the Missal and Breviary, and reformed the ecclesiastical music. Nor was he less active in protecting the Church without. We see him at the same time supporting the Catholic King of France against the Huguenot rebels, encouraging Mary Queen of Scots, in the bitterness of her captivity, and excommunicating her rival the usurper Elizabeth, when the best blood of England had flowed upon the scaffold, and the measure of her crimes was full. But it was at Lepanto that the Saint's power was most manifest; there, in October, 1571, by the holy league which he had formed, but still more by his prayers to the great Mother of God, the aged Pontiff crushed the Ottoman forces, and saved Christendom from the Turk and the Moslem religion. Six months later, St. Pius died, having reigned but six years. St. Pius was accustomed to kiss the feet of his crucifix on leaving or entering his room. One day the feet moved away from his lips. Sorrow filled his heart, and he made acts of contrition, fearing that he must have committed some secret offense, but still he could not kiss the feet. It was afterwards found that they had been poisoned by an enemy.

"Thy cross, O Lord, is the source of all blessings, the cause of all graces: by it the faithful find strength in weakness, glory in shame, life in death."—St. Leo.

We need to ask the prayers of this truly 'great' pope, who fought against what was wrong in the world at that time in history, that he help the Church in our time.


Prayer:

O God, Who didst choose Blessed Pius as supreme Pontiff in order to shatter the enemies of Thy Church and to restore the purity of the Sacred Liturgy; grant us his protection so that cleaving to Thy service we may overcome the snares of all our enemies and enjoy perpetual peace. Through Jesus Christ Our Lord. Amen.


In 1570 a new version of the Roman Missal, ordered by the Council of Trent, was published in Rome by command of Pope Pius V. This edition of the Missal had been carefully amended to purify it of all errors that had crept into the Mass books during the course of centuries. This Missal of the roman Rite was made obligatory for use throughout the Latin Church (only such rites as had been in use in certain churches for more than two hundred years were permitted to remain unchanged). Pope St. Pius, in his Bull “Quo Primum” declared that this Missal should remain valid in perpetuity; that nothing should be ever added, omitted, or changed in it; that no priest at any future time could ever be forced to use any other way of saying Mass. “We decree and determine that this Our present Order and Decree is to last in perpetuity and can never be legally revoked or amended. It has merely been disregarded. It cannot be denied that by changing the Roman rite and the language of the Mass, great disorders, doubts, and sorrows have now come upon the Roman Church. The Bull “Quo Primum” ends with the customary words that “if anyone should attempt any action contrary to this Order of Ours, let him know that he has incurred the wrath of Almighty God and of the Blessed Apostles Peter and Paul.”


In the 60's, those in charge did an end run around this Bull. They created a new rite, complete with new beliefs, new words, new teachings, and, an entirely new mass, which is just like a protestant service in everything except Christ in the Eucharist. Hopefully, their heads can be extracted out of certain orifices before that fateful day when they meet their Maker.


Read on about how our Blessed Mother can help us through ANYTHING!






by Lillian Browne-Olf, 1943

As a humble novice in a Dominican cloister, the future Saint and Pontiff (Pius V.) had selected for his patron in Religion the great Archangel Saint Michael, leader of the hosts of heaven and defender of Christ's Church on earth. Fitting, indeed, and prophetic of events to come, that choice must appear to us now. Nor is it a mere idle figure of speech when the author presents the consecrated hero of this book under the bold image of "The Sword of Saint Michael," that fiery weapon forged in the armory of God. In Italy, Spain, the Lowlands; in Germany, France, and England; in Poland, Scotland, and elsewhere, there was seething unrest involving the Church and leaving her no peace. Across the stage of history moved challenging personalities: Mary of Scotland, Elizabeth of England, Catherine de Medici, Cardinal Borromeo, Philip II of Spain, Suleyman the Turk, and Don John of Austria! These, and hosts of others, were friends or foes to be taken into account. But to picture comprehensively the scenes presented to us here we best can describe them as a gigantic encounter on three fronts.

The first front, then, was no other than Reform from within. As we must understand from Christ's infallible promise, error could never take possession of the Church He was to build on Peter, for the gates of hell were never to prevail against her. But it is quite another thing to say that iniquity and unworthiness could never be found in her. We have definitely Christ's own parables of the cockle growing up with the wheat and the bad fish taken together with the good in one single net. The day of judgment will set all things right. Yet holiness must always remain a mark of God's Church, and always she has had her legions of saints. Not unto death but unto life was the Sword of Saint Michael raised up here by the hand of God.

That brings us to the second front, the Lutheran Revolt. If now over Europe and beyond the bruit of discord rose bitter and un-intermittent, the cause, as we well know and as all have reason deeply to deplore, was no other than the baneful division caused by the apostate German monk, false to his most sacredly pledged vows, but backed in his fatal step by temporal princes eager for the loot of churches and of monasteries. The cruelties practiced against Catholics, where their adversaries prevailed, made clear the seriousness of the conflict and its terrible social and civic consequences. In judging the defensive actions taken against like evils and for the preservation of the Faith, we must be careful not to project our twentieth century back into the sixteenth. It was the ardent and heroic zeal of Pius V, aided by the steady advance of Catholic Reformation, that stayed the course of destruction.

Yet there was still a third front, the menace of the Moslem. This was the most sinister of all. "Crusade" was a thought uppermost in the Pontiff's mind, and here now was the opportunity forced upon him. All Western civilization was in imminent and most deadly danger. All efforts of appeasement could only end in still more tragic results. It was not long before the infidel was battering at the defenses of Europe, while his galleys, propelled by Christian slaves under the Mohammedan lash, were proudly riding the high seas. Victory followed the crescent, as later it perched on the swastika banners at the outset of the Nazi invasion. Yet the complete defeat of the Moor, through the Pontiff's supreme effort and the benign aid of Mary, Help of Christians, to whom the people cried for succor, was to be the triumphant event that climaxed the heroic career of Pope Saint Pius V. --from the Preface.

Hymn

Let our sweet organs give forth their glad sound in honor of blessed Pius! Let the joys of this sacred day dispel all dismal storms.

His name in baptism was Michael, and he conquered the devil in battle: he took the name of Pius, and repressed the impious foe.

He was the firm shield against the dangers that attacked the Church: he was the strong sword that mowed down the ranks of the heretics.

He was the zealous Phinees who stood for the defense of the Holy City, that he might protect the Faithful from the scimitar of the Turks.

His strenuous care redisciplined morals; and to impious errors he opposed a barrier of restraint.

Pius had too generous a heart to hide his wealth in a napkin; he threw open his whole treasury, that he might relieve the necessities of his people.

Kind father of the poor, with his hands ever pouring forth charity, he fed and amply provided for his subjects when suffering famine.

We beseech thee, O Creator of all things! that, in these days of Paschal joy, Thou defend thy people from every assault of death. Amen.



And, another Hymn, which is placed near the tomb of St. Pius V, in the Church of Saint Mary Major in Rome.  (It also seems pertinent to our days)

The scourge of war is on us, for the worship of God is despised:  the chastisement that avenges guilt is menacing our earth.

In this peril, which of the heavenly citizens can we better invoke in our defense than thee, O Pius?

O blessed Pontiff! no mortal ever labored with such zealous vigour to promote God's glory on earth as thou didst;

No mortal ever struggled, as thou didst, to free Christian lands from the yoke which barbarians were seeking to put upon them.

Thy power is greater now that thou art in heaven:  look upon us thy clients!  Restrain civil discord and repel our enemies.

May thy prayers bring golden peace upon the earth; that in calm security we may sing our canticles to God with a gladder heart.

To thee, O Blessed Trinity, one God, be glory, praise and power, for ever and ever.  Amen.

Prayer:

Pontiff of the living God! thou wast, whilst on earth, the pillar of iron and wall of brass, spoken of by the Prophet (Jerem. i. 18). Thine unflinching firmness preserved the flock entrusted to thee from the violence and snares of its many enemies. Far from desponding at the sight of the dangers, thy courage redoubled, just as men raise the embankments higher, when they see the torrent swell. By thee was the spread of Heresy checked; by thee was the Mussulman invasion repelled, and the haughty Crescent humbled. God honoured thee, by choosing thee as the avenger of His glory, and the deliverer of the Christian people: receive our thanks, and the homage of our humble praise! By thee were repaired the injuries done to the Church during a period of unusual trial. The true reform, the reform that is wrought by authority, was vigorously applied by thy strong and holy hand. To thee is due the restoration of the Divine Service, by the publication of the Books of holy Liturgy. And all these glorious deeds were done in the six short years of thy laborious Pontificate!

Hear, now, the prayers addressed to thee by the Church Militant, whose destinies were once in thy hands. When dying, thou didst beseech our Risen Jesus to grant her protection against the dangers which were then threatening her: oh! see the state to which licentious error has now reduced almost the whole Christian world! The Church has nothing left to her, wherewith to make head against her countless enemies, save the promises of her Divine Founder; all visible support is withdrawn from her; she has been deprived of everything except the merit of suffering and the power of prayer.

Unite, O holy Pontiff, thy prayers to hers, and show how unchanged is thy love of the Flock of Christ. Protect, in Rome, the Chair of thy Successor, attacked as it now is by open violence and astute hypocrisy. Princes and Peoples seem to have conspired against God and His Christ: disconcert the schemes of sacrilegious ambition, and the plots of impiety which would fain give the lie to the word of God. Avert, by thine intercession, the scourges which are threatening Europe, that has become ungrateful to the Church, and indifferent to the attempts made against her to whom they owe all they have. Pray that the blind may see, and the wicked be confounded. Pray that the True Faith may enlighten those numberless souls that call error truth, and darkness light.

In the midst of this dark and menacing night, thine eyes, O holy Pontiff, discern them that are the faithful sheep of Christ: bless them, aid them, increase their number. Engraft them to the venerable Tree which dieth not, that so they may not be drifted by the storm. Get them docility to the Faith and traditions of holy Church; it is their only stay amidst the tide of error, which is now threatening to deluge the whole world. Preserve to the Church the holy Order, in which thou wast trained for the high mission destined for thee; keep up within her that race of men, powerful in work and word, zealous for the Faith and sanctification of souls, of which we read in her Annals, and which has yielded Saints such as thyself. And lastly, O Pius, remember that thou wast once the Father of the Faithful: oh! continue to be so, by thy powerful intercession, till the number of the elect be filled up!